10,000 Feet of Clarity: What Skydiving Revealed About Fear, Trust, and Transformation

June 2025

Hello Community —Thank you to everyone who reached out after last month’s Goo Stage newsletter. So many of you shared stories of your own in-between moments — the sticky, uncertain, transformational spaces where you’re no longer who you were, but not quite who you’re becoming. It’s vulnerable. It’s real. And it’s also where so much growth begins.

And once you’ve been in the goo for a while? Eventually, you’re called to leap.

That moment when you stop overthinking and start trusting. When you choose expansion over certainty. When the only way forward is… out of the plane.

And yes — I mean that literally.

10,000 Feet of Clarity:

What Skydiving Revealed About Fear, Trust, and Transformation

A few years ago, I went skydiving over the crystal blue waters of Key West.

It had been on my bucket list for years — one of those things I said I wanted to do “someday.” And when the day finally came, I couldn’t have picked a more beautiful place. 

But here’s what surprised me the most: It wasn’t the leap out of the plane that scared me. It was the ride up.

We were crammed into a tiny aircraft, climbing higher and higher. I could feel the anticipation building in my body — tight chest, sweaty palms, heart racing. The nerves were real. The anticipation was intense — and familiar. 

That blend of anxiety and exhilaration. Physiologically, fear and excitement feel exactly the same in the body. The only difference is what we attach to the feeling.

And that day, I chose excitement.

When it was time to jump — or really, to fall — something wild happened. I didn’t feel like I was dropping uncontrollably. I felt… free. More free and safe than I ever expected, suspended 10,000 feet above the ground. No “what ifs,” no inner noise. Just presence. All I could do was be exactly where I was.

And isn’t that what we’re really seeking when we take a leap? Not just the change, but the aliveness that comes when we finally let go. That’s the gift of presence.

Once the parachute deployed, a new sensation took over: play.

We dipped and floated, tugging at the strings to steer little rollercoaster loops in the air. I saw the world from angles I’d never imagined. It was joyful, surprising, and alive.

Here’s the thing: true play only happens when we’re present. You can’t play while calculating every move or bracing for disaster. Play requires trust, curiosity, and letting go of the outcome.

Just like growth.
Just like love.
Just like building a business, or starting over, or making art, or raising your hand to say: I want more.

Since that jump, I’ve taken many other leaps:

✨ Leaving a full-time job to grow what was once a side hustle into a full-on business
✨ Walking away from a professional partnership that no longer aligned with my values or vision
✨ Saying yes to being more visible — whether that’s speaking on stages or showing up on camera without the perfect lighting or script

These are the moments that have changed me — not because I had it all figured out, but because I didn’t. Because I jumped anyway.

And here’s what I’ve found in my own life and in the lives of my clients:

The freedom doesn’t come before the leap. It comes because of it.

Most of us don’t get stuck in the leap itself. We get stuck in the moments before — when we’re projecting into the future - What if I fail? What if it all goes wrong? -  or clinging to the past - I’ve been burned before… What if this is just like last time?

Here’s the truth though -  the only place we actually have agency is in the present. And that’s where courage lives.

So if you’re standing on the edge of something — a decision, a shift, a change that feels both exciting and terrifying — here are a few prompts to help you move forward:

✨ Where in your life are you being called to leap — even if you don’t feel ready?
✨ What story is fear telling you right now?
✨ What might change if you chose to call that same feeling “excitement” instead?
✨ What’s one small step you can take this week that brings you into the present moment?
✨ What are you giving up by not leaping?

Because yes, the leap is scary. But staying stuck has a cost, too.

I’m not saying you need to go skydiving (though if you’re tempted, I highly recommend it).

But I am inviting you to ask:

What’s on the other side of the leap for you?
What might become possible if you stopped waiting until you were “ready”?

When we leap, we learn that the parachute does open. And that freedom, safety, presence, and play — they’re not opposites. They often arrive together, mid-air.

P.S. I work with individuals and organizations who are standing on the edge of something new—navigating transitions, making bold pivots, or simply feeling the fear before the leap. Whether you’re leading a team through change or exploring what your next leap might be, I’d love to support you through 1:1 coaching, team workshops, or leadership development experiences. You don’t have to jump alone.